Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said on Wednesday that the threat in the West Bank should be addressed in the same manner as the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the launch of a large-scale military operation by the Israeli army in the West Bank, considered the most significant since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.
In a post on his X social media page, Katz explained that since Tuesday night, the Israeli army has been conducting an intensive military operation in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps, targeting what he referred to as “Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist infrastructure.”
“Iran is working to establish an eastern terrorist front against Israel in the West Bank, according to the Gaza and Lebanon model, by financing and arming terrorists and smuggling advanced weapons from Jordan,” Katz said.
He added that Israel “must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps are required.”
“This is a war for everything and we must win it,” the minister concluded.
Reports of Evacuation Orders
The Israeli occupation forces ordered on Wednesday the citizens of Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem, to leave the camp within four hours, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
According to WAFA, the Israeli army ordered the residents to leave the camp and set up a military post in the al-Maslakh neighborhood of the camp to search them before leaving.
An Israeli army spokesperson denied that evacuation orders were issued, adding that those who wish to leave may do so.
Large-Scale Operation
The Israeli military announced that, starting from early Wednesday morning, it had launched a major operation targeting militants in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas in the northern West Bank.
Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance factions said they were repelling the incursions and carrying out counterattacks.
Israeli state radio described the operation as the largest since 2002, involving the air force and large military forces.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth noted that a military division was involved, with the internal security service, Shin Bet, and undercover units supporting the army. The operation has also seen extensive use of helicopters and fighter jets.
Israeli Channel 14 reported that thousands of soldiers from special units had been mobilized for the operation, mainly targeting cities in the northern West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that at least 11 Palestinians had been targeted by drones and killed since the operation began at dawn on Wednesday.
The occupied West Bank has seen an increase in military incursions, with the situation escalating significantly since Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7.
According to official Palestinian sources, more than 640 Palestinians have been killed, and about 5,400 wounded in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, due to Israeli raids.